Sirensong
by MorgantheFae
Summary: CLAMP School Paranormal Investigators. Yuki and Sumika got kind of a weird start, but it's worth sticking it out. For CLAMP Femslash Week 2019.
1. Day 1: Role Reversal

**Disclaimer:** I'm not sure even CLAMP remember this series exists, but even so, they and Tomiyuki Matsumoto are the creators, and i can't actually claim it.

* * *

**Day 1: Role Reversal**

It was getting harder and harder to nail Yuki down to talk about the UFO sighting. It was as if her new crush on Sumika had made her lose sight of everything else. It just didn't make sense. Yuki was always extremely focused on her goals, but it was weird for her to change those goals so completely. After all, even after joining the Association and dedicating herself to achieving club status, she still kept a connection to the theatre.

Take today, for example. They had evidence of the UFO's erratic flight pattern, and the data the Astronomy Department had managed to collect didn't match any known aircraft. Not only that, but there were no records of any disappearances in the airspace near CLAMP School.

"Based on the evidence, it's probably safe to assume it was of extraterrestrial origin," concluded Rion.

"Why?" Yuki asked. "Are we absolutely sure it wasn't a plane? Remember, not so long ago, the University Division's weather balloon caused some very strange incidents, but it all turned out to have an entirely natural explanation."

The other Association members looked at each other. This wasn't like Yuki at all.

"Well, we'll look into that angle too, of course," Takayuki finally said, in a tone of voice that clearly meant, _This has gotten out of hand._

"Oh!" Yuki shot up. "There's something i have to take care of." She darted off before anyone had a chance to add anything.

"I didn't even have a chance to talk about the deuterium," Kouji said mournfully.

* * *

Sumika was lost. As if being in a new – massive – school wasn't disorienting enough, she'd been having strange impulses lately. There was that object in the maintenance room. None of the pools she'd swum at before had a device like that to tend the water. She couldn't stop herself coming back to look at it, even after she'd nearly been hit by that laser.

A laser, seriously? It was like something out of science fiction, but even that couldn't stop her.

It was almost a relief to discover the impulses were coming from an alien that was borrowing her body. As the alien explained, there was a fugitive hiding somewhere in CLAMP School – the machine she'd seen was something it was using to convert water from the pools into fuel for its ship – and her alien was forbidden from making direct contact with Earth's population.

" . . . And your idea of avoiding direct contact with humans is borrowing the body of a teenager?" Sumika asked, just for clarification.

"_It minimizes witnesses,"_ the alien told her. _"If anyone saw us, we would only seem like students. Once i've dealt with the criminal, i'll erase your memory, leaving nobody to know what happened."_

"Huh," Sumika said. If even half of what she'd heard about CLAMP School's resources was accurate, they could afford to replace any amount of converted water. But the pool was her territory. It was her haven and her playing field. As if that hadn't been enough to make this fight personal, she'd been shot at with a laser.

"I'm in," she told the alien.

* * *

And so she found herself back at the Emerald Ocean in the night, diving down in the water to find the deuterium converter under the drain. She surfaced to take a breath and figure out what to do next, when a white beam of light seared through the air. Sumika instinctively kicked hard, shooting to the other side of the pool just in time. The water behind her seethed, and Sumika scrambled out of the pool.

"Lucky," a voice growled. "But i won't miss twice." The figure of her attacker came out of the shadows.

With a start, Sumika recognized her. It was the girl who'd been so impressed by her dive. "Yuki-chan!"

She felt sick. She'd thought Yuki liked her. Had she only approached her because of the alien?

"_That's not really him,"_ the voice in her head said unnecessarily. _"He's under the control of the alien i'm after."_

"Her," Sumika corrected out loud, as if that were the most pressing part of the situation. "She is."

"_Cute,"_ said the voice. _"But that's a boy."_

"No, she really isn't. I've talked to her. But what do we do?"

"You die," the alien in Yuki's body informed them, leveling the pistol it carried at them. Sumika lunged to the side, just barely evading the laser that shot at her.

"Battle armor _on,"_ she exclaimed in unison with the alien inside her head. Brass armor appeared out of thin air, clamping down on Sumika's body over her racerback.

The alien in Yuki hissed in surprise. "Who are you?"

"I'm Outer Space Milky Way Police Force Officer No. 192!" Sumika's alien declared in her voice. "And you need to let Yuki-chan go," Sumika added. "She's–"

The alien in Yuki cackled. "Oh i know! She's in love with you! That'll make it all the sweeter when she's the one to kill you."

"That's what you think," the Space Police Officer replied. "By Milky Way Space Law Article 1, Number 28, you are forbidden from making contact with unapproved species of any primitive planet's civilization. Do you–"

"Shut up!" the alien in Yuki screamed, starting to run. It tossed its laser gun into the other hand. A blade of light, humming like electricity, emerged from Yuki's right arm.

Sumika caught the alien's swing, deflecting it on her vambrace. "I won't let you!" she exclaimed through gritted teeth.

Yuki's face grinned at her, but she couldn't imagine the real Yuki making a feral expression like this. "This body fell for you," the alien crooned, "and now you'll be the one to fall."

Sumika didn't have a chance to think of a comeback, and the Space Police Officer didn't bother with one. "Eraser Blade!" A blade of red light rose out of Sumika's palm. "Eraser Z Beam!"

The red beam, on voice command, sheared through Yuki's body. Sumika couldn't hold back a scream as Yuki fell to her knees, then toppled slowly forward. Sumika dropped down herself to catch her.

"_She's unharmed,"_ the voice in her head was quick to assure her. Apparently the alien had given up on misgendering Yuki. _"I extracted the fugitive into a stasis pod. The host will regain consciousness in time."_

"Good," said Sumika vaguely. Yuki really wasn't cut in half, she realized as if from a distance. The alien was right. Whatever that beam was, it hadn't done any physical damage. She checked for a pulse, and then Yuki's breathing. Satisfied, she sat back with a sigh. It was all over.

* * *

**A/N:** Not sure why i decided to make the space cop mildly transphobic – it was probably a dig at TokyoPop's translation consistently refusing to use the right pronouns for Yuki, even with the dialogue and narrative making it very clear she's a girl, even from characters who have no way of knowing she was AMAB, even from characters who know her well enough to know how she identifies. Even the alien who was inside Yuki's head called her a boy. Give me a break. The point is, Yuki is a canon trans wlw, and that's beautiful. This reversal was a ton of fun to write, but thanks to the weather i'm a day late and a story short as usual.


	2. Day 2: Historical AU

**Day 2 (2/6) Historical AU**

_Houreki 8 (1758)_

Sumika hurried from the harbor to the pleasure district. She didn't make a grand fortune diving, but it was enough to treat herself to her one indulgence, kabuki theatre.

She'd thought she had time for a dive this morning, before the afternoon's show, but the currents hadn't cooperated, and she found herself running late. She had to push and shove to get into the theater she wanted.

Once she made it in, Sumika had to take her seat near the back, but at least the theater wasn't so packed that she couldn't get in at all.

The man in front of her was too tall. Sumika shifted to the side, then glanced around to make sure she wasn't the only woman in the audience. Kabuki was primarily a man's world, and sometimes it made her nervous.

She wasn't alone today, though. Kabuki was getting more and more popular among women lately – in fact, Sumika's first time had been when a girl friend invited her to come along to a show. And that was how Sumika had fallen in love.

She was just in time. A hush fell as the leading actor appeared on the stage. Sumika watched with bated breath as other actors joined him onstage and performed the play's introduction. She hadn't seen this one before, but she was also looking forward to seeing the real star.

A murmur rose through the audience as the female lead entered. Sumika lifted her body as much as she could while remaining seated. Yuki was here.

Yuki went by a different professional name, of course; one handed down through generations of onnagata. Yuki was the actor's old name, from before the troupe had picked her up. She had told Sumika her old name, the one she still preferred, along with her other secret. Sumika was the only one who knew that Yuki was not a man who took women's roles on stage, but that she was a woman with the body of a man.

Sumika watched the play with rapt attention. Yuki had a way of hypnotizing the audience, drawing them in with a sweep of her arm until they couldn't help feeling what her character felt. It was why she was so popular. It was certainly what had first drawn Sumika to her.

Of course, her pretty face didn't hurt. But the real magic lay in her acting.

* * *

After the show, Sumika didn't linger. There would be a press of patrons all heading backstage, trying to get close to their favorite actors. Sumika had little chance of talking properly to Yuki at the theater. Yuki's costars did know Sumika, and were willing to give her special treatment, but with all the hobnobbing Yuki had to do, it was inconvenient at the very least. They'd come up with a different arrangement, and so Sumika escaped to a nearby inn.

It was lucky the troupe's director had a soft spot for Yuki, Sumika mused as she waited. Yuki may have brought in a great deal of money for the troupe, but some men might consider this use of her wages to be a waste. For a kabuki actor, time was money, and there was no downtime. Yuki used her own earnings to make up for the time she spent with Sumika.

"Actors may barely count as people, but i can afford my time better than those stuck-up samurai," she had declared, knowing samurai had a great deal more money to pay for Yuki's time than Sumika did.

It was much later when Yuki finally entered, as grand and graceful as if the small room were a stage. "I thought i'd never get away!" she exclaimed, dropping down beside Sumika on the futon that had been laid out. She even collapsed gracefully, the epitome of womanhood at all times.

"Tired?" Sumika asked, as Yuki closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was still wearing her makeup from the performance.

"Oh, i'm exhausted." Yuki reached up to adjust the purple scarf tied over her forehead. Sumika didn't comment – she knew Yuki was sensitive about her hair. "The show was incredible," she said instead.

"Wasn't it?" Yuki stretched and smiled brightly at her. "I said this was a good one – and it should be, with all the work we put into it."

"I couldn't tell at all," Sumika told her. "It was like i was really there, watching it all happen for the first time."

"Perfect." Yuki fell back elegantly, lying almost spread-eagled on the futon. She pulled Sumika down with her. "It's all i could have ever hoped for. To perform on stage, as a woman, and to love a beautiful woman."

Sumika laughed and pushed at Yuki's shoulder. "Stop it! I'm just a diver; i'm nothing special."

Yuki rolled over her to look intently into her eyes. "Don't say that. You are so incredible, Sumika-san. You do what you love without compromising yourself. You don't have to pretend to be someone you're not."

Sumika covered up her self-consciousness with teasing. "So you're a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman? It sounds like the plot of a play."

Yuki scoffed. "Kabuki wouldn't touch a plot like that. It's too implausible."

"Yet here you are," Sumika pointed out.

"Here i am," Yuki said, and leaned down to kiss her.


	3. Day 3: Love Languages

**Additional disclaimer:** Lyrics quoted belong to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

* * *

**Day 3: Love Languages**

The fight really shouldn't have been so bad, Sumika mused. She'd said something stupid, and then Yuki said something mean, and neither of them had been willing to back down, so it had all gotten blown way out of proportion.

She could see that now, but even though she had cooled off, she couldn't see a way out of it. She could just go and try to talk to Yuki, but she had no way to guarantee Yuki would listen.

Literally the only thing she could think of that would ensure Yuki's attention was a big apologetic musical number like in an old movie, and that was too ridiculous to even contemplate.

Was it, though? Yuki did love old movies . . .

Sumika hated herself for even considering it. She'd probably just embarrass herself, but the more she thought about it, the more it felt like her only option. And she had to do _something_.

With that in mind, she checked the directory in her student handbook and found her way to the CLAMP School Musical Library.

"Do you know any songs from musicals about how hard it is to be in love with someone?" she demanded of the girl behind the counter.

The girl looked at her severely and said, "Do you know, that's a major theme in so many musicals?"

Sumika winced. "I know, but i really need to learn one because i messed up, and i have no idea where to start."

The girl took pity on her. "Personally, my favorite is 'I Don't Know How To Love Him' from _Jesus Christ Superstar_."

"_Him," huh,_ Sumika thought grimly, but what she asked was, "Could i listen to it, please?"

"I'll do you one better – the CLAMP School music library has cassettes of all its albums so students can take them out to study, and lyric booklets too. I can get you the whole soundtrack. Just return it in a week."

"Will do," Sumika said gratefully. She signed her name into a log and accepted the tapes and booklet the girl at the desk gave her.

Back at the dorm, Sumika examined the booklet. The song titles ranged from "Everything's Alright" to "Damned For All Time." _Those are the two ways this could end, i guess,_ Sumika thought._ Let's hope for the first one._

She listened to the full album once, to get the context, and then focused on learning the song she needed. She wasn't a great singer, but she was okay, and she figured she only really needed the last verse or two – they were the most relevant to her situation. It would work if she changed the pronouns.

_Oh, i hope this works._

* * *

Ready as she'd ever be, Sumika steeled herself to approach Yuki at lunch. "Yuki-chan? Do you have a moment?"

Yuki hesitated, but willingly faced Sumika in the rapidly emptying hall. Sumika took a moment to wish she'd chosen a better location, but she'd stopped Yuki, so she had to go through with it.

"Look," she said in a rush. "I know i was stupid, but i have no idea how to apologize, so i thought maybe i could do it like this. So please, please listen to me." She took a deep breath, as deep as she'd ever taken before a dive, and started to sing.

"_I never thought i'd come to this_

_What's it all about?_

_Yet if she said she loved me_

_I'd be lost, i'd be frightened_

_I couldn't cope, just couldn't cope_

_I'd turn my head, i'd back away_

_I wouldn't want to know_

_She scares me so_

_I want her so_

_I love her so."_

Sumika stopped, and froze like she was a deer and Yuki's staring eyes were the headlights. This was it. The moment where she either looked like an idiot singing in the school hallways, or some kind of old-movie heroine.

She was the idiot, wasn't she? She was doomed.

A moment later, Yuki started to sing. It wasn't the same song. _"Try not to get worried, try not to get turned on to problems that upset you. Don't you know everything's alright, yes, everything's fine."_

Sumika felt relief flood through her. A smile spread over her face as Yuki continued, _"And i want you to sleep well tonight."_

Yuki sounded amazing, but for a moment Sumika had the courage to join in on the next line. Somehow she'd remembered the words. _"Let the world turn without you tonight."_

"I thought you didn't know Andrew Lloyd Webber!" Yuki exclaimed, breaking the spell of their voices.

"I don't," Sumika replied. "I looked it up. I thought maybe i should talk to you in a language you understood."

"It was worth it." Yuki flung her arms around her. "Sumika-senpai, i'm so sorry. I was a jerk. Can you forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive," Sumika assured her, returning the hug. "It was my fault. I should have thought things through before i opened my mouth."

"It's okay. Besides," Yuki beamed, "any girl who'll use showtunes to get her point across is a girl worth fighting for."

* * *

**A/N:** I regret nothing.


	4. Day 7: Firsts

**Additional disclaimer: **Once again, lyrics quoted belong to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

* * *

**Day 7: Firsts**

Yuki was out of the classroom the moment the lunch bell rang, but her head start dissolved when Mifuyu accosted her in the hallway. "Chairman, about the UFO sighting–"

Yuki shrugged her off. "Sorry, Mifuyu-senpai, i can't help right now. I've got a lunch date with Sakimori-senpai."

Mifuyu blinked. "You asked her out?"

"Yes!" Yuki twirled in a circle. "So i have to go, but don't worry, i'll be at the Association meeting later. See you!"

"Have fun!" Mifuyu called after her as Yuki rushed off. Yuki waved at her, but most of her mind was worrying about how she looked. Sumika had agreed to meet her; she couldn't blow it.

She didn't quite make it to the Café Terrace in time – she saw Sumika ahead of her settling into a table by the hedge. "I'm here," Yuki called, waving. "Sakimori-senpai."

"Hello!" Sumika said. "Yuki-san, right?"

"That's right!" Yuki exclaimed, sitting across from her. "Did you get your lunch all right? I know it can be a mess here."

"I'm fine," Sumika said, lifting her bento. "I brought one. So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Oh, everything," Yuki replied. "That dive you did was incredible. My friend said that from that height, even the impact from the water could kill you, but you didn't even hesitate."

Sumika waved it off. "It's all in knowing how to hit the water."

"But then you didn't come back up," Yuki continued, "and i thought you'd drowned! It was scary. I'd hate for that to be the way it ended."

"That's right," Sumika remembered. "You were there when i got out, weren't you? Were you going to rescue me?"

Yuki blushed. "That was the plan, but it turned out you didn't need me at all."

"Don't get down on yourself," Sumika said. "Not everyone is willing to go help someone who's in danger."

"I really didn't do anything, though, Sakimori-senpai." For some reason, Yuki felt really shy about her upperclassman praising her.

"Nonsense! And i think after you tried to save me, we should be on a fist name basis. You can call me Sumika."

"Thank you!" Yuki exclaimed. "Really, though, you've got incredible lung capacity. I'm a singer, but i couldn't do anything like that."

"You're a singer?" Sumika asked.

Yuki squirmed, just a bit. "An actress mostly, but i want to do both. All my role models are singing actresses from old movies and musicals."

Sumika nodded. "I get that. Does CLAMP School have a good theater program?"

"Yeah, it's the best!" Yuki nodded furiously. "I haven't been as active in the theatre recently, since i've got obligations to my other Association, but there's no better department."

Sumika propped her chin on her hand. "I guess that means i can't see you perform sometime soon, then."

Yuki was caught somewhere between excitement to get straight back to the Theatre Department and audition for something right away, and terror at the thought of Sumika watching her on stage. "I guess not."

"Too bad. I bet you're good." Sumika's eyes lit up. "What if you sang something for me now?"

Yuki opened her mouth, then froze. "Oh no! You put me on the spot, and now i can't think of anything!"

"Oh, that happens to me too," Sumika assured her. "Someone'll ask me what my favorite movie is, and i'll totally blank."

"So what's your favorite movie?" Yuki joked. "Okay, no, i've got one." She took a deep breath, met Sumika's eye, and burst into a fresh set of giggles. Sumika was no better off.

"Okay, for real this time," Yuki said when she caught her breath. She carefully avoided looking at Sumika as she breathed in. _"It won't be easy,"_ she sang. _"You'll think it's strange."_

Somehow she was able to make it through the first verse without breaking character. It seemed like too much to do the full 5-and-a-half minute song there at the table, so she ended it at the chorus.

Sumika applauded. "That was great! You have a great voice."

Yuki ducked her head. "You think so?"

"Yeah, it's husky, but low voices for women are cool. Think of Seiko Matsuda and Tina Turner."

"Or Marlene Dietrich?" Yuki asked hopefully. "I knew i could never be a soprano, so she was kind of my role model for singing."

"I mean it," Sumika said. "You sound great. I'm sure you'll go far – assuming you get past the auditions without blanking." There was a twinkle in her eye.

"It's not like that!" Yuki defended herself. "It's totally different at an audition. I know exactly what to sing, because i've been practicing it for weeks."

"Of course. You're going to be great, then, i'm sure of it."

"Thanks," Yuki said from the heart. "What about you? Are you planning to swim professionally?"

"I hope to," Sumika replied. "I'm aiming for the Olympics."

"You can make it," Yuki said confidently. "With that diving ability? There's no way they'll pass you up."

"Thanks. I've heard good things about CLAMP School's athletics program, so i'm hoping to go far."

The conversation drifted to the school itself then, but both girls were thrilled to find someone who supported them so resolutely.

* * *

**A/N:** And so, we have the first date CSPI skipped over. I think it's a shame Sumika got so little screen time – she's never mentioned again after that first case. Sakiko and Kei get to make reappearances, but she just disappears.


End file.
